Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-29
BEACH ON THE DEFENSE.
He Defines His Position on Irish Affairs
The Fisheries Question,

He Defines His Position on Irish Affairs
The Fisheries Question.
LONDON, Jan. 29.-In statement in the
house Of commons Friday, Sir James Fergu-
son, parliamentary secretary for foreign af-
fairs, said Great Britain would uphold the
rig hts of the colonists in the fishery question,
but would leave no effort untried to bring
about a peaceable solution Of the present
difficulty between Canada and the United
States. A friendly communication had been
received from the United States govern
ment on the subject
Hicks-Beach, chief secretary for ireland,
in response to questions touching upon the
recent evictions at Glenbeigh, said that Gen,
Sir Redvers Butler had not interfered in the
matter until seventy tenants had been
evicted, when he attempted to influence the
mortgages of the Winn estate, through their
agent, to pursue more lenient course. The
government, Beach said, had no legal right
10 go further than this. The remedy he
would suggest would be the removal of the
inhabitants from that poverty stricken dis
trict, of their own free will of course, to
some other part Of 1reland-[CrieS of
''Shanen Nor "Never"'l-where they
could live in prosperity and comfort. ru-
multuous Conservative cheers He would
be delighted to aid in carrying out such a
scheme, and had no doubt that it would prove
efficacious
Replying to an inquiry whether the gov
eminent approved the burning of houses at
Glenbeigh in order to prevent the tenants
return to them, Sir Michael responded that
it was was no business of his to express an
opinion on that point. [Renewed Conserva-
tive cheersl
Maj Saunderson resumed the debate on
the address by vigorously denouncing the
National league fer causing the crisis now
impending in Ireland The plan of campaign,
Saunderson said, had commended itself tc
Gladstone. Gladstone made no reply to this
beyond shaking his head negatively.
Harrington and Esmonde replied 10 Maj.
Saunderson, the latter maintaining that ii
was equally as lawful for tenants to combine
against landlords as for workmen to combine
against employers.
Fry said: ''If Sir Michael Hicks Beach is
not able to suggest a remedy for the Glen
beigh affair be ought to resign
Hicks Beach said Mr.. Fry's remark was
unfair. The government contemplated
proposals to ameliorate the condition
of Ireland. He Beach had been sadly mis-
represented. The stories circulating to the
effect that he had been exercising his power
to its full extent were untrue. He had sim
ply directed Gen. Butler and Others when
evictions becam imminent to inform own
ers, especially nonresident owners, of the
circumstances of the case and to use their
influence, reason and argument to promote
an amicable settlement with the tenants In
that respect he had exceeded his absolute du-
ties, but no instance could be cited wherein a
government official had eoerced landlord
by threatening to withhold protection. The
plan Of campaign, he said, meant simply d
combination to force landlords TO accept
when and what the tenants chose to cffer.
The government had been obliged to do the
hest it could with the tools available. but
these had not sufticed to cope with the Ma
tlonalists plan.